At least 1 dead as heat wave intensifies in Southwest

June 28, 2013: A jet takes off from Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix. (AP)

LAS VEGAS – High temperatures brought discomfort to much of the Southwest on Sunday as many parts of the region were coming off record-breaking heat days and bracing for more sizzling temperatures.

Triple-digit heat was on tap for the valleys and desert regions of Southern California, while metropolitan Phoenix was expected to see a slight drop in temperatures after experiencing record-breaking heat Saturday.

Six half-marathon runners in Southern California were hospitalized Sunday for heat-related illnesses. A day earlier, paramedics responding to a Nevada home without air conditioning found an elderly man dead.

Runners in the Southern California race who required medical attention were extremely dehydrated, and some experienced cramps, said Pasadena Fire Department spokeswoman Lisa Derderian. Several other runners were evaluated along the route but were not taken to the hospital, she said.

Paramedics were deployed along the 13.1-mile race, and buses with air conditioning were provided for runners to cool off. The event was supposed to be a marathon, but it was downgraded due to low turnout last year.

Phoenix Fire Department spokesman Larry Nunez said Phoenix hasn't seen any deaths that were classified as heat-related, but emergency workers have gotten 98 heat-related calls within the metro area since Friday morning.

The 119-degree high in Phoenix on Saturday marked the fourth-hottest day in metro Phoenix since authorities started keeping temperature records more than 110 years ago.

The high temperature forecast for the metro area for Sunday was 116.

Temperatures could drop slightly in Phoenix within the coming days as monsoon storms are expected to make their way through the state. Such storms could bring cloud cover but could produce more humidity and possibly contribute to dust storms.

Several Southern California communities set same-day record highs Saturday including Palm Springs, where the mercury peaked at 122 degrees.

Death Valley, the hottest place on the planet, reached 127 degrees Saturday. It was forecast to be 1 degree hotter Sunday. As sweltering as it will be, it's still shy of the all-time record high of 134 degrees, set nearly a century ago on July 10, 1913.